Portable gas generator



Apr. 24,- 1923. Q 1,452,731

D. c. DUNCAN PORTABLE GAS GENERATOR Filed Nov. 24, 1919 IINVENTOR.

ATTOR N EY'.

Jam/6M. BY I Patented Apr. 24, 1923;

} pai s stares P. as;

PATENT @Ftijfitl DAVID C. DUNCAN, or DULUTH, nvnnsorn.

PORTABLE ens GENERATOR.

Application filed November 24, 1919. Serial No. 340,382.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID C. DUNCAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Duluth, in the-county of St; Louis andstate of Minnesota,have invented certain new andv useful improvements in Portable GasGenerators, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to A still further special applicationoftheinvention is toportable gas generating devices such, for example, as flare lights whichare well known and .comprise an upright container in which the necessarywater for generation is carried, and a vertically removable bell or gastank supporting inter-.

nally thereof the cage or holder for the carbide or .carbic cake as thebriquetted carbide is commonly called. f

j Such lights are moved about from place to place by hand and-used inmany forms of work. Some of them are carried upon vehicles and it isfound in such use that frequently the vibration or motion of the vehiclewill causethe water in the container below the carbide to splash aboutand'cause unsatisfactory results and as before stated the principalobject of my present invention is to correct such fault.

Other objects and advantages of the peculiar construction hereindescribed will appear in the further description of the invention. r

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and inwhich like reference characters indicate like parts:

Fig. l is a side elevation of one of the completely holders.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional View through the same showingtherein two cakes of solidified carbide.

of baflle for steadying the action of the water.

Fig. 4.- is a plan view of the bafiles shown in Fig. 2 looking down fromthe line 44, Fig. 2, and

assembled improved carbide Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form Fig.5 is a central vertical sectional view of a flare light tank showing theimproved holder installed therein.

This holder is carried in all respects in vthe usual manner within thegas bellof the water containing-tank of the light so that, Ishallproceed to describe only the novel features and construction of myimproved holder. 1

1' represents the outer cylindricalcasing which is conically shaped atits bottom as at y 2, the, latter truncated as at 3 forming a circularopening having ,a diameter preferably; substantially one-third that ofthe base of the cone. Within the casing 1 is suspended the cylindricalholder 4 having a r removable cap or cover 5 as is usualsinsuch devicesand provided'with an annular extending flange 6 fixed to the side wallsthere- ,of approximately midway of its ends and which flange rests uponthe upper end of 4.

the casing 1 when the holder is in place within same.

About the lower end of the cylinder t and externally thereof arefastened suitably spaced depending wire supports 7 upon the inwardlyturned ends of which the carbide cakes rest, as is common, and about theup- I per ends of the wires '7 externally ofthe cylinder 4 is attached aband 8 having a flaring lower edge indicatedat 9 which is of a diametersomewhat less than that of the interior of the casing l and'which actsas a guide tothe holder in keeping it centrally .positionedtherein, aswell as preventing any descendingcondensed water coming in contact withthe carbide.

Spaced a distancev about the juncture of the straight side walls of thecasing 1 with the conically shaped base 2 and securely fined to theinside of the casing is an inwardly inclined annular or frustroconically shaped baflie 20, the lower edge of which preferablyterminates on a plane with the lower end of the cylindrical portion ofthe casing and through the walls of which latter just below its unionwith the bafiie are series of vent holes 10 to allow the free escape ofeither gas or water when the latter fluctuates, as may occur.

Adjacent the lower edge of this baffle and preferably engaging same aretwo diametrically opposed straight vertical baflies l1 and 12 theycrossing each other and being united in any desired manner at thecenter. These vertical bafiies extend downwardly the full depth of theconically shaped base 2 and preferably are attached by soldering orotherwise the full length of such contact as.

I prefer to form in these vertical haflies a plurality of holesindicated at 1 1, and which are found to provide the proper means ofcirculation for the water -thereabouts and resting within the uppermostedges of the vertical baflies is a circular inserted hand 15 which formsan additional baiile concentric with the casing 1.

I have shown suspended from the'outer sidewalls of'the casing 1 anannular rim or band '16 of equal diameter to that of the casing,by'preferably four suitable strips 17 the lowermost edge of the band 16being preferably on the same horizontal plane with the lower end of theconical termination 2 of the-casing and which band is engaged by theusual hooks or rods for su porting the holder within the gas bell andwhich latter does not form part of my presentinvention. y

In Fig. 8 I have illustrated a modified nular ring'15isoinitted, astraight inclined member 18 being installed within the anglesintermediate of the'vertical baflie's'll and. 12 their vertical relationbeing indicated in dotted lines at 19 Fig. 2.

This construction is particularly designed for use in a. portablegeneratorthat is subject to more or less vertical motion, the baffles 18being formed for the purpose of preventing the water piling up centrallyof the volume or pillaring and thus excessively contactingthe carbide,whereas the structure shown in Figs. 2 and'is'more'partid ularlydesigned for use'in a machine'subjected to lateral vibration. I

From the foregoing "it is evident that I have devise'd simple means forpreventing extensive movement of the volume'o-f Water beneath thecarbide holder and within the gas bell of-a machine such as referred toand also that the same may be considerably modified in constructionwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

a l 1. A combined carbide holder and Watercontrolling device therefor,comprlsing a cylindrical casing surrounding the holder having a frustroconically shaped extension upon the bottom thereof below the holder,vertically disposed baflies Within the extension, a concentricvertically disposed baflie within the first mentioned bafiies, afrustro.

conically shaped baflie surrounding the lower end of the'holder abovethe bafiies, the upper end of said frustro conically shaped 'batllebeing the full size of the inside diam; eter of the casing, and carriedthereby, sald frustro conica'lly'sh'ap'ed baflie heingthe full size ofthe inside diameter of theca'sing, said casing havlngvent holestherethrough below the'upper' end of=the fru'stro conic-ally shapedbaffles, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof Ihereunto afiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses. DAVID C. DUNCAN.

Witnesses:

' I 'L. LALIBERTE,

S. GEO. STEVENS.

